The Amber Enchantress
Summary Sadira of Tyr travels to the Pristine Tower in order to discover the secrets of the Dragon's creation. And hopefully the secret to destroy him. Plot In Tithian's Palace Chambers the new king has used Psionics to project himself into the mind of Sadira's Kank as she, Agis, and Rikus leave for Kled. While possessing it he finds out that they know of the Dragon's levy and that they are planning to interfere. While he is not going to bow down to the Dragon Tithian doesn't want them to disrupt his plans. At the same time Nok, the halfling chieftan who created the heartwood spear that killed Kalak, kills the templars blocking him from Tithian. Seeking an audience, Nok requests Tithian hand over Sadira. Seeing this a mutual arrangement Tithian tells Nok where she has gone. When Sadira, Rikus, and Agis arrive at Kled to hear more about Borys from Er'Stali the translator of the Book of Kemalok Kings, but Lyanius will not let them enter and refuses to help them. A pregnant Neeva convinces Caelum to convince Lyanius to let them in. The dwarves of Kled have been refurbishing the metal armor and swords which is why they didn't want visitors. Er'Stali is also near death and is furiously writting down the history of the dwarves before he forgets it all. He confirms that Borys is in fact the Dragon of Tyr and that he convinced the other champions to turn him into it as to defeat Rajaat. The only lead they have is that the transformation took place at the Pristine Tower, now current home to shadow giants. Two dwarven knights named Sa'ram and Jo'orsh visited it. The tower is said to lie near Nibenay. Back on the road Sadira splits off from Rikus and Agis due to their squaveling and joins a caravan. The two men head to Tyr planning on contingencies in order to save the city. In Tyr a half-elf named Rhayn steals a nobleman's steel dagger. When the templars come for her, her father and chieftan Faenaeyon aids in killing them. He takes the dagger from her. On the road to Nibenay, Sadira joins a caravan of musicians who can entrance people with their music. During the night Nok and his halfling tribe attack trying to get Sadira to return Ktandeo's Staff. Sadira escapes on her kank into the desert. Over the next few days of being chased Sadira comes to a bridge. Her kank however disregards her commands forcing her to continue on foot. She destroys the bridge to slowdown Nok. In a bid to get Sadira to give back the staff, Nok throws the Heartwood Spear at her creating an oak try bridge across the chasm. Sadira tries to use her cane, but Nok uses an Obsidian Orb to destroy it. Sadira is knocked out by the attack, waking to find that Nok was transformed by the attack into a tree, possibly a Tree of Life. Faenaeyon soon finds Sadira who recognizes the name as her absentee father. He forces her to stay with his Elf tribe the Sun Runners, but promises to take her to Nibenay. When she mentions the Pristine Tower Faenaeyon warns that those who get too close and get injured are turned into mutant beasts. He summons his windsinger, Magnus, to assist to her wounds. Magnus is a new race creature that was born near the Pristine Tower, but regardless of his appearance he is in fact pure elf. After doing battle with a defilerat the Silver Springns Oasis, Rhayn tells Sadira that Faenaeyon won't let her leave for the Pristine Tower at Nibenay, instead he'll figure out a way to trap her with the tribe. If Sadira killed him than Rhayn may become leader and allow Sadira to leave. At Nibaney, Sadira tricks Faenaeyon into letting her try to persuade the gate guards with magic. Instead she makes it difficult for the Sun Runners to enter and escapes into the city, leaving her Kank with the stable. Tithian, by way of the Kank, meets with King Nibenay and warns him of Sadira's plan. The King sends his half human half cilops son Dhojakt to track her down. While Sadira tries to contact the Veiled Alliance through one of their agents, Prince Dhajakt corners her. Rhayn saves Sadira in exchange for killing their father with a keg of bard poisoned wine. When another Sun Runner sees this Rhayn kills him to cover up the conspiracy Back at the Sun Runner camp, Faenaeyon steals Sadira's wine and gets slowly poisoned. Most of the Elves think he is drunk until morning when he is clearly showing signs of the poisoning. Dhojakt attacks the camp allowing for Sadira and Rhayn to escape with help from the Veiled Alliance. Faenaeyon is captured by Dhojakt. Realizing that Faenaeyon is the only one who knows where the Pristine Tower is Sadira plans to help him escape. In order to save Faenaeyon from Dhojakt, Sadira defiles the Sage Quarter's trees to cast a spell to incapacitate Dhojakt. In doing so the Veiled Alliance marks Sadira as a defiler and pledges to kill her. Sadira uses the antidote for the poison on Faenaeyon in exchange for passage to the Pristine Tower. In their escape from the city her father has her use defiling magic again to feather fall over the city walls. Determined to not defile again Sadira uses a slower method of travel to escape. While on the road Faenaeyon watches as his tribe members fight each other for the right to become chieftain. Sadira uses Rhayn's spare poison to make Faenaeyon sick again, using the situation as leverage to get to the Pristine Tower. Huyar is next in line to be chieftain, but while Faenaeyon is sick Rhayn is temporary chief. During their travel Rhayn procures obsidian for Sadira to bargain with the shadow giants of the Pristine Tower for entry. When they finally reach the Cleft Rock Well oasis near the tower, Dhojakt kidnaps several Sun Runner children in order to get Sadira. In the ensuing fight Dhojakt falls to his apparent death, but there is no sound of his hitting either the ground or water. Once combat finishes Huyar discovers the antidote to Faenaeyon's poison. An upset and cured Faenaeyon gives Sadira a trial. She names Rhayn as a co-conspirator in her plans to get Faenaeyon killed. Magnus rushes to Rhayn's defense admitting that Faenaeyon has become a callous leader. The trio are then exiled from the Sun Runners. Rhayn worries about her children knowing elves don't care for those that aren't their own young. Near the Pristine Tower, Shadow Giants ambush the group. Magnus gets hurt and begins turning into a tree like creature. Sadira and Rhayn rush to the tower making sure not to get injured. With Rhayn's implied promises of obsidian the Shadow Giants allow them entry. The Shadow Giants promise that they will pay for the news Rhayn and Sadira bring with them. Sadira tells them of Umbra's death and the destruction of House Lubar by Hamanu for their failure to conquer Tyr. Since Sadira told the Shadow Giants everything she gained the boon promised by them, Rhayn being left empty handed. Upset Rhayn tries to defile the plants at the tower's summit, but is killed. Inside the Pristine Tower the Shadow Giants take her to the Steeple of Crystals where the creatures birth their young in obsidian orbs. They explain that the Steeple of Crystals used to house the Dark Lens that was used to transform Borys into the Dragon. When Sadira asks what is needed to defeat Borys the Shadow Giants tell her that she needs the Dark Lens, a weapon forged by Rajaat (i.e. the Scourge), and magic that they can bestow to Sadira. The Scourge is in the possession of Rikus, but the Dark Lens was stolen by Sa'ram and Jo'orsh, the Dwarven Knights from Kemalok. Outside the Tower, Magnus is trying to fend off some animals that think he is prey. Sadira aids in his rescue having been transformed by the shadow giants. Instead of gathering her energy from animals or plants she gathers it from the sun. During the day she has impenatrable black skin and access to powerful magic, when the sun sets this power disappears. Dhojakt seeing his chance attacks at sunset, but Sadira defeats him. In his final moments of life he reveals that Nibenay helped create the Dragon and that they give the levy to him to protect Athas from a great evil. On the road, Sadira finds that Tithian's severed head advisors, Sacha and Wyan, have come to her to aid in killing Borys. They inform her that the Dragon was told of the Book of Kemalok Kings by Tithian and is heading to Kled. At the Dwarven village Rikus, Agis, and Sadira fight with Borys. In an ultimatum Sadira promises not to destroy Borys's obsidian orbs in his stomach(the source of his dragon magic) in exchange for him leaving Kled alone and to not collect Tyr's levy. He agrees as long as he also gets Sacha and Wyan, to which Sadira agrees without argument. Back in Tyr, Tithian meets with the Dragon and promises to give double the levy in exchange for lessons in becoming a Sorcerer-King. Characters Heroes * Sadira - Half Elf Defiler/Preserver with the Veiled Alliance and aided in killing Kalak. * Rhayn - A half elf of the Sun Runner Tribe. * Magnus - A new race Windsinger (Elemental Air Cleric) who is a cousin of Sadira (on her Elven side). He was mutated by the residual magics around the Pristine Tower, as a consequence he does not appear, even remotely, as his 100% Elven lineage would imply. He is tall and very broad, massively built and reptilian looking. Villains * Tithian - Sorcerer King of Tyr * Nok - Halfling Chieftan of the Forest Ridge * Faenaeyon - Elven Chieftan of the Sun Runners * King Nibenay - Sorcerer King of Nibenay * Dhojakt - Half human, half cilops Prince of Nibenay * Huyar - Elf Sun Runner and next inline to be chief. * Gaefal - Elf Sun Runner who Rhayn kills to hide her plan to poison her father. Locations * Tyr * Kled * Canyon of Guthay * Nibenay * Cleft Rock Well - An oasis, when Sadira battled Dhojakt she found out magic did not work there. * The Pristine Tower Category:Novel Category:Works by Troy Denning